Homeowners can use the following Energy Star tips to
save energy and money at home this winter
Get a
Home Energy Audit - Home energy auditors are trained and
certified in how to find energy problems using specialized equipment to
pinpoint key areas for improvement and provide customized recommended
solutions. In select states, Home
Performance with Energy Star offers an energy assessment that focuses on a
systematic approach to improving energy efficiency and comfort.
Seal and
Insulate - The average home spends $2,000 on utility bills each
year. Heating and cooling costs account for nearly half of that amount. Energy
Star estimates that homeowners can save up to 10 percent on heating and cooling
costs by sealing air leaks and adding insulation.
Learn more through Energy Star’s “Rule Your Attic!”
campaign, which encourages homeowners to measure their attic insulation levels
as a first step toward making their homes more energy efficient and
comfortable. More: www.energystar.gov/ruleyourattic.
Heat
Efficiently – Energy Star recommends that homeowners check
their HVAC system air filters every month. A dirty filter will slow air flow
and make the system work harder — wasting energy and possibly shortening the
life of the system. A good rule to follow is change the filter every three
months.
Energy Star also recommends that homeowners have HVAC
systems serviced annually by a licensed contractor to ensure they’re running at
optimum efficiency. If the heating system is over 15 years old, consider
planning for its replacement with a high efficiency unit. Today's Energy Star
certified condensing furnaces operate at over 90 percent efficiency.
Depending on where one lives, replacing old heating and cooling equipment with
newly certified Energy Star equipment can cut annual energy bills by more than
$115. More: www.energystar.gov/heating
Use a
Programmable Thermostat. Avoid heating the house when not
necessary, and save almost $200 a year. Programming the thermostat to turn the
temperature down 8 degrees for 7 hours each night and an additional 7 hours
each weekday could result in a seasonal heating savings of approximately 12
percent. More: www.energystar.gov/pts
Make
“Bright” Choices For Lighting. To get the energy efficiency and
performance expected, look for the Energy Star label. LED bulbs that earn
the label are independently certified to ensure they deliver on brightness and
color and shine light where it’s needed. More: www.energystar.gov/led
Decorate
for the Holidays with Energy Star Light Strings. Energy Star
certified light strings use 50 percent less electricity than incandescent light
strings and are available in a variety of colors, shapes and lengths. They are
more durable, shock-resistant and cooler to the touch. Some models deliver
features such as dimming or color shifting. More: www.energystar.gov/dls
Choose
Energy Star Certified Electronics. A home equipped with TVs,
set-top boxes, a Blu-Ray player, and a home theatre in a box that have all
earned the Energy Star can save more than $280 over the life of the products.
If streaming movies or videos over the Internet, remember that laptops and
tablets use less energy compared to streaming over desktop computers or game
consoles. More: www.energystar.gov/holiday
Tips
from EPA’s WaterSense Program include:
Many Americans know about the importance of saving energy
and water. But few know about the drops-to-watts connection – that it takes
energy to pump, treat, heat, and deliver the water we use every day for
showering, bathing, cooking and cleaning. In fact, homes with electric water
heaters spend one-fourth of their total electric bills just to heat
water.
Save
2,900 Gallons of Water at Home. One of the easiest ways to save
energy and water is to install water-efficient, high-performing WaterSense
labeled products such as showerheads. By replacing just one showerhead with a
WaterSense labeled model, EPA estimates the average family can save 2,900
gallons of water, or the amount of electricity needed to power an entire home
for 13 days.
Install
WaterSense Fixtures and Energy Star Appliances. If every home
in the United States were equipped with WaterSense labeled fixtures and Energy
Star certified appliances, water and wastewater utilities could save 12 billion
kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and save $775 million in electricity
costs per year.
Shower
Better and Save $5 Billion in Water and Energy. Simple changes
made at home add up across the country. If every home in the United States
replaced existing showerheads with WaterSense labeled models, the nation could
save more than 260 billion gallons of water and more than $5 billion in water
and energy costs annually.
More on EPA’s WaterSense Tips: http://epa.gov/watersense/our_water/start_saving.html
Learn more about how saving water saves energy: epa.gov/watersense/pubs/waterenergy.html